Every second counts

NHS was launched in 1948 with a budget of £437 million, which is approximately £9 billion in todays monetary terms. In contrast, the budget for the NHS was a whopping £96 billion in 2011/2012. After 65 years, the health service has become an intergral part of Britain. However, with growing concerns over the finance of maintaining the service and ethical issues regarding staffs accountability, this article will analyse an alternative method- Robot Surgeons!

Believe it or not, Robot Surgeons are not actually a totally alien concept as simplier versions have been used since 1990′s. What makes it intriguing though is how sophisticated they are becoming. More time and money is being invested to make the machines further enhanced.

Today only a minority of hospitals and Medical schools possess these kind of luxurious equipments. Although, South Korea is one country that is spearheading the concept with majority of the hospitals in the nation utilising them. It will not be surprising if more countries follow suit.

It is fascinating to know that there are three types of Robotic Surgeons- Supervisory Controlled, Telesurgical and Shared Control. Supervisory Controlled are the most independent as it only requires human surgeons to put instructions and overlook the operations should anything go wrong. Moreover, Telesurgical is very interesting in the sense that surgeons can conduct operations from a long distance, even different countries! Finally, Shared Control Robots are the least automated, because most of the operation is undertaken by the surgeons themselves.

High tech robot surgeon

From when they were first introduced back in the 90′s, drastic amount of improvements have been made. Perhaps this is why more and more patients feel comfortable and are agreeing to be operated on by such mechanical devices. It is anticipated that very soon, not only will robot surgeons be able to assist and perform simple procedures, but will also be able to undertake complicated operations, such as Orthopaedic, Gastrointestinal and Cardiothoracic all on their own.

Robot surgeons consist of many benefits, such as in the long run they will help the NHS save costs as fewer surgeons will be required. However, many patients prefer having a human surgeon performing tasks that could potentially be a matter of life and death. The idea of robot surgeons is still at a premature stage.

In conclusion, we must acknowledge the fact that we have come a long way from when the first ever surgery was performed in 1889. Who knows, just as people warmed to the idea of actually being “under the knife”, it may be that one day, people will want no less than a fully functional robot surgeon.

Video of Hypersonic Airliners

The much anticipated and many may argue, needed, airplanes are currently being researched upon and developed. It is expected that the invention will be revealed to the commercial market within 25 years, which is a very long time. Although, we would agree that it is better to take time and produce a device, which is safe rather than rush and create an insecure instrument.

Hypersonic Airlines will be engineered in such a way that they will be able to fly at a speed of 3,800mph. This means that potentially, passengers can travel from Europe to Australia within the space of 4 hours! Should this be successful, it will be a remarkable achievement considering it takes as long as 12 hours currently.

Environmentalists will be grateful to know that this super fast machine will be powered by Liquid Hydrogen. Therefore, it will only exert water vapour and a small amount of Nitrus Oxide. This proves to be a big relief as currently, the waste from airplanes are one of the biggest contributor to global warming. Also, Hypersonic Airlines will not require to be refuelled as long as the journey they are undertaking is less than 12,000 miles.

The engineers are designing the airplanes so that not only will they travel faster, but also will be larger than the present aircrafts. This would allow more passengers to take board and enjoy the work of the designers. Furthermore, it will not be necessary to construct specific runways, as Hypersonic Airlines will be able to utilise the conventional airport runways.

Moreover, a common complaint amongst residents who live close to airports is the level of noise when airplanes take off. However, this will not be the problem with Hypersonic airplanes. Another advantage to add to the list!

On the other hand, whilst many enjoy the view from windows when travelling, they will be in for a surprise once they step inside Hypersonic aircrafts,as the designers do not wish to include windows. Although, boredom may prevail, a way to overcome this would be to include entertainment systems within the aircraft, such as Television and wifi connections.

In conclusion, while the general public are concerned about the welfare of the environment, it puts trust back into humanity knowing there are people out there developing products that should ease the problem and at the same time make peoples life that little bit easier! Best of luck to the engineers and designers behind this spectacular project!

For all those who are alien to the term ‘Nanotechnology’, here is a easy to digest definition- A Nanotechnology refers to objects, materials and applications designed to work on a very small scale (http://www.futuretimeline.net/subject/nanotechnology.htm). 

The idea was first suggested back in the late 1950′s, but remained hugely in a theoretical phase. However, it started to take off in the 1980′s with a huge progress and soon became the fastest growing technology in the world of science.

Image of a Carbon Nanotube

As seen on the image provided above, Carbon Nanotubes possess a cylindrical structure, which contains high strength, exclusive electrical properties and efficient thermal conductors.

There have been a number of fantastic breakthroughs in the area of Nanotechnology, such as:

• In order to improve the absorption, Pharmaceutical products have been modified with minute, nano-sized particles.
• New type of fabrics have been introduced, which when exposed to falling objects, will not stain.
• Surfaces manufactured which are amazingly resilient to dirt as well as bacteria.
• Products transmitting brighter images, lighter in weight and consume less power.
• Military weapons and equipments made mightier and lighter.

After all the success and improvements made thanks to Nanotechnology, you may ask, what does the future hold? Well, listed below are just some of the hugely anticipated products.

• Nanobots- considered to be blood cell-sized devides that will directly enter the body to exterminate pathogens, and thus make people more healthier and less prone to falling ill.
• Nanofabricators- would allow the production of 3D printers, downloading products from the web and actually be able to build them from scratch.
• What is considered impossible today, such as space elevators and invisibility cloaks may become the norm tomorrow.
• If you thought immortality was out of the question, then brace yourself as Nanotechnology could potentially construct an entire body including the brain from scratch. Fancy that?

The graph above depicts the growth of Nanotechnology, and where it is heading in the future. It is clear that the need for Nanotechnology really shot up after 2010.

Like many things in life, Nanotechnology also comes with its positives and downsides. For example, the positive being that this new sector in science has the potential to create new materials and devices that can go a long way in improving not just lives but also the health of many. Moreover, Nanotechnology has already advanced medicine and engineering, helping us to stay one step ahead of whatever problem we may face.

However, there is the concern that Nanotechnology can have the disastrous effect on toxicity and the wider environment and make it worse than it already is. Not only this, but experts believe that global economics could also suffer due to Nanotechnology.

After having discussed what Nanotechnology is, the recent breakthrough, the future anticipations as well as the positives and negatives that come along with the innovative sector of modern science, the question is, is it really worth it?

During the 2012 London Mayor election, MajesticSEO used backlink data as a proxy for opinion between the two main candidates. According to the data obtained, Boris Johnson had the upper hand, and no money for guessing who went on to win. So, in regards to the upcoming US elections, the polls suggest that it is a close race between Romney and Obama, but is this REALLY the case? Well, read on to find out more.

When analysing the graph below, it is reasonable to infer that Obama has more sites linking to him in comparison to Romney. Although, the rate of acquisition suddenly changes, as it will be seen further down.

What Happened?

The graph below depicts the number of links seen during the last 60 days. It is obvious just by looking at the graph that interest in Romney shot up. The political game seems to have changed instantly before the first presidential debate.

The graph below puts the same data into further perspective. For instance, the number of backlinks reviewed for Romney increased rapidly from 26th September, whereas in Obamas case the backlinks reviewed have been growing rather slowly.

Why MajesticSEO Is A Better Alternative To Polling

• As they view approximately 3 billion URLs a day, MajesticSEO possess a substantial amount of relevant, up-to-date data.
• MajesticSEO possesses data from all over the world, thus having that all important international validity.
• The information they have are varied and not just numerical values.

However, it is important to point out that the data obtained to analyse and predict the Obama V Romney election were collected at a top level, and top level data are only a good predictor if the data analysed is not manupilated, but as is the case, in a election, manupilation is just the norm!

Although, when inspecting closely, it reveals that a vast majority of links came and went on the same day, which suggests that it was marketing effort by Team Romney. This resulted in a spike in results that left home pages of websites, but are possibly still on blog sites, as the image suggests:

All in all, a good strategy undertaken by Team Romney, but for future reference, it is vital to obtain AND retain links. Could it be that, this will cost him the White House? Or could it be that, the short period of attention that Romney recieved via the backlinks, will help him recieve the votes in the polling station? All will be revealed next week.

Micro Aerial Vehicles are the latest equipment currently under construction by the US military. These smart devices, which are expected to have an uncanny resemblence to household flies is expected to be presented to the mass population later this decade.

The high tech, contemporary device

Rest assured these are no ordinary flies. Far from it. The Micro Aerial Vehicles is being prepared to record and transmit visual as well as audio information. Furthermore, it will be equipped with GPS, modem, microphones and miniture cameras.

However, there are currently two hurdles, which the developers are trying to jump across. Firstly, storaging so many features on a object leads to increase in weight. But, it is important that such devices are able to fly with ease and sophistication and that weight does not hold them down. Secondly, it proves to be difficult yet vital to create sufficient battery power in such minute objects. Will they be able to overcome these difficulties? Only time will tell.

If you thought that these robots cannot be modified even more, then your in for a surprise. There are talks of producing refined versions for assassin roles, which will have capsules in the abdomens of the flies filled with lethal toxins, such as cyanide. This will be used to target opposition. The small needle that will be attached to the fly will have the capability of piercing human skin.

It is predictable that some robots will work in groups to extend their range and abilities. The more robot flies there are in a group, the more powerful they will be. There is hope to utilise huge numbers of them in battle fields.

Upon hearing the news, 29 year old Simon, a peace activist said “I would hate to think the consequences of what would happen should these robots fall into the wrong hands.” On the other hand, a more optimistic designer, Amira believed that it was a “brilliant idea” that would “help to keep order in large crowds”.

It is important to stay up to date with technology, and even more important to stay one or a two steps ahead of those who intend to cause trouble. However, we should ask ourselves, are we prepared to give up our privacy? What is more, will we be able to forgive ourselves if innocent civilians die due to to the lethal substances contained within the robots?

The newest technology being introduced is known as PredPol and is currently being tested by police forces across California and Los Angeles. The results these tests have produced so far have been extremely fruitful.

PredPol was originally intended to help predict aftershocks of earthquakes. However, after reading an article about this in the LA Times, Zach Friend who is the crime analyst of the Santa Cruz Police Department got in contact with the researchers who were working on the project, with an idea and asked if he could work with them.

He put the question to researchers to see if it would be possible to incorporate this technology into the police force as the city of Santa Cruz had started to experience a surge in crime, with crime increasing by 30%; this coincided with a 20% decrease in police staff.

At first, the software was used to estimate the location of possible a car or home burglary. All officers received a print-out map of the local area with the possible locations of crime marked out. Once they had conducted their first initial tests, they moved onto trying to predict the possible locations of bike thefts and assaults. Since the introduction, the results have been amazing, with burglary declining by 19%.

Police forces across the United States are slowly testing different forms of technology, with the hope that it will be able to aid officers with their duties. Police departments in Florida are currently testing how efficient portable finger print scanners would be to identify suspects and to indicate whether they have any outstanding warrants.

Another piece of technology that is being used in 58 cities across the United States, with Boston using it since 2007, is Shot Spotter. This system is designed to use listening devices to pinpoint the exact location of a gunshot, seconds after it is fired.  Shot Spotter also has a camera system built into it that will trigger the moment a gun is fired. This camera system is able to capture a gunman running or driving away from the scene, meaning that police officers will be able to track them down so much easier.

It is important to note that the reason why police forces across America are introducing these forms of technology is to aid their officers in the fight against crime. The test results have shown some promising signs, however as this is the early stages of testing, there will probably be a few problems that will need ironing out but if all things go well, the chances are that there will be different forms of technology introduced to the majority of forces across America.

A recent study by David Menninger has highlighted some very interesting results. Firstly, his study showed that the rewards of using Predictive Analytics can be extremely high. Also stating that, out of the 13% of businesses who admitted to using Predictive Analytics for this report, 80% of those ranked it as either an important or very important aspect of running their business. He stated that the main reasons given for the use of Predictive Analytics include:

• Forecasting and marketing.
• Customer service and support.
• Product recommendations.
• Fraud detection.

It possibly doesn’t come as much of a surprise that all of these reasons are revenue and income related. The report also mentioned that over the next year or two, there could be a substantial rise in the amount of Predictive Analytics being used within social network analysis.

This report also highlighted the main reason why a lot of companies struggle to correctly implement Predictive Analytic techniques; with the main reason being that they do not give their employees enough or the correct training. Out of all the companies interviewed for this report, those satisfied with Predictive Analytics the most, offered their staff the correct training, where as those companies who offered little to no training obviously weren’t satisfied with Predictive Analytics as a tool. Other reasons given included, Predictive Analytics being seen by some businesses as a specialist area that is not worth the trouble of getting involved with.

As with every aspect of running a business, communication is a major part to the success of Predictive Analytics. If a company hires an analyst who cannot properly communicate with other members of staff or vice versa, then things are destined to fail before they have even begun.

Predictive Analytics, if implemented correctly can help all businesses to make sense of what is important and draw insight into their data. By not having the right people and tools around, you will be missing out on so much and which will have detrimental effect on your business.

This years’ Predictive Analytics Summit will bring businesses from every aspect of the industry together for this two day event. The event contains keynotes, presentations, interactive sessions and discussions going on throughout the day, to make sure that everybody gets the most out of the conference.

Dixon Jones will be the chairmen for the first day of the event (18^th April). For anybody who doesn’t know what this means, he will be talking in-between as well as introducing each of the speakers.

The Predictive Analytics Innovation Summit starts at 8.50 am and goes all the way through to 5.40 pm with networking drinks from 5.40pm until 7pm. Sponsors at this event include, Mu Sigma, Fractal Analytics and Deloitte.

On the first day, there will be 12 companies speaking on the first day with a further 10 speakers on day two. Some of the stand out speakers on day one includes, ebay, Thomas Cook, Barclays Wealth and SAV Credit.

This years’ Predictive Analytics Innovation Summit is shaping up to one of the best yet. If you are planning on attending or are attending, make sure you say hi to Dixon.

The New York Times recently published an article explaining how Target used Predictive Analytics to find out those customers who were pregnant.

Target decided that they wanted to send specially designed adverts to women between the 14 and 25 weeks stage of pregnancy as between this time; they are much more likely to change their shopping habits. Everybody who shops at Target have their own specially assigned Guest ID number. The Guest ID number stores every piece of information Target can get about their customers, from the name and address to their buying habits to every time they open an email sent to them by Target.

Target knew that a perfectly timed advert to a newly pregnant woman could result in her changing her purchasing habits, which is why they decided to conduct a lot of research to make sure that this campaign was a success.

The first part of this research was to look at those women on the Baby Shower register. Looking at this list showed that women on this list were buying large quantities of lotions and those women who were in the first twenty weeks of pregnancy were purchasing excessive amounts of supplements. They also noticed that even though a lot of people were buying cotton wool balls and soap, those people buying large bags of cotton wool and scent-free soap, the chances are high that they are very close to their delivery date.

They discovered that there were twenty five products in their stores that when analysed together, they could give each customer a ‘pregnancy score’. This score was used to determine the likely hood of that customer being pregnant, more importantly though they could estimate within a small period of time the expected due date. With this vital information, they could send women who are expecting a baby vouchers on products they will need for that stage of the pregnancy they are in.

While also combining this information with the customers Guest ID, Target was able to produce a list of thousands of women who could potentially be pregnant.

Once Target had finished their research and started to send a small handful of customers on the pregnancy list a booklet containing vouchers. Target received a lot of negative feedback from those they had sent vouchers to. In light of this negative feedback, Target decided that they should take a different stance with the way they were sending vouchers out. They knew that sending pregnant customers a booklet filled with vouchers for just pregnancy related products resulted in negative feedback, so they decided to mix and match the vouchers. They decided to not only have vouchers for pregnancy related products but also vouchers for other products such as electrical equipment and lawnmowers. By doing this, the negative feedback stopped and those customers started to use the pregnancy vouchers. One reason why this may have had a different effect on those customers is because with the presence of vouchers for other products, they don’t feel like they are being spied on by Target as the booklets wouldn’t be seen as specially put together to fit their needs. They also found out that the customers were much more inclined to use these vouchers than they were before.

Even though there was some negative feedback from their customers, Target’s Mother and Baby sales went up and their revenues went from $44 billion to $67 billion, which is a substantial growth.

The question is should a business be allowed by law to go to these kinds of lengths just to sell their products? How do you feel about the matter? Please leave any comments you may have below.

Visual Revenue, the market leader in predictive analytics for online publishers, announced yesterday that they have secured $1.7 million in funding led by IA Ventures and Softbank. The majority of this investment will be used to aggressively expand their existing team.

The company who were formed only a year ago in January 2011, have come a long way with an experienced team, who have backgrounds in web analytics, big data and also the predictive modelling world.

With Visual Revenue’s Front Page Decision Support System, online editors can see the predicted performance of any content up to 15 minutes into the future. It can also provide you with real-time recommendations on exactly what content should be posted on a front page and for how long.

By using the real-time recommendations that this tool gives, all users will see a sharp increase in visitor engagement and content relevancy, while also providing the company with a way of saving money.

Roger Ehrenberg, the Managing Partner at IA Ventures said “Visual Revenue sits at the intersection of real-time data, semantic analysis and web optimisation and seamlessly delivers this ROI-based solution to publishers both large and small”.

Currently, the platform provides more than forty five online publishers with real-time recommendations and with partners that include the likes of Forbes, NYDailyNews, TheBlaze and the biggest daily newspaper in Holland, Teleraaf.nl, this new tool will very likely arriving in a newsroom near you soon.